Prayers for Fr Z.

I am not sure what is up with Fr Zuhlsdorf at the moment, but he has been regularly putting up posts of late (such as this one) requesting our prayers for something going on at the moment in his life. Please join me in praying for him. When serious stuff happens in anyone’s life it can really stuff up your ability to serve others according to your gifts. We need Fr Z.’s gifts. So please pray for him.

About Schütz

I am Catholic, married to Cathy, father of Maddy & Mia. Since 2002, I have been the Executive Officer of the Ecumenical & Interfaith Commission of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. I was once a Lutheran pastor, but a "year of grace" and soul-searching led me into the Catholic Church. It was a bumpy ride, but with the support of my (still Lutheran) wife, I was finally confirmed on June 16, 2003.

I am sure that the Corapi affair is included in Father Z’s prayers but I doubt that it is at the core of the problem. Conservatives and those that espouse our traditional values and practices have been under an increasing virulent series of attacks. Those priests, deacons, and bishops who have a prominent public face have been hit the hardest and the heaviest battle seems centered around the Holy Father. The really terrible part comes from the fact that most of the attacks come from areas that are fully or nominally within the church herself.

Father Z makes no bones about his disdain for the National Catholic Register (read “Fishwrap”, as Fr. Z says). The Fishwrap has taken on Bishop Robert Finn, a truly pastoral cleric and the man presiding over the diocese in which the “Fishwrap” is housed. Other conservative bishops in the USA have been the target of the “Fishwrap”, the New York Times, The Washington Post, and several video journalists.

We see stumbling blocks placed by liberal bishops to prevent the celebration of the EF Mass which amount to defiance of the Vatican decrees. Some of the most nasty detractors lie within the Curia itself. The bishops of Scotland seem bent on open warfare over the “reform of the reform” and moves within the ranks of the RCC in England called the “magic circle” have interrupted the process of ordination of noticeably traditional an learned Anglican clerics who have responded to the Ordinariate provisions. Fr. John Hunwicke (Oxford) is about as erudite a liturgist and theologian as one can find and he is as Catholic in his theology as the Pope. His ordination has been “put on hold” thus robbing mother church of a rich resource and contributor. The reason was a nebulous insinuation that there was “questionable content” in his widely-read blog. The content might be questionable if one is bent on eradicating the fundamental doctrines of the church and the writings of her founding fathers.

No, I fear that the venerable Fr. Z’s troubles run much deeper than empathy for a fellow ordinand.

Hi David, it seems many ‘traditional’ ‘orthodox’ Catholics are under attack every which way you look. Even the Holy Father can not escape. I hope Fr Z’s call to stop donating to the ‘Fishwrap’ was not a cause for any legal repercussion(?).

Was informed that the celebration of the EF at a Catholic school chapel, was stopped because the order of priests that runs the school asked them to. Uhm perhaps they want to eb seen as being culturally relevant-the first sign of spiritual decline

My original hypothesis (which I still think is correct), was that Fr Z’s concerns relate to the accusations against John Corapi. To be honest, I was a little concerned that this generated a series of complaints about conservative Catholics being attacked.

Corapi’s order has just completed an initial investigation and released a statement saying in part:
“He did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute; He repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs; He has recently engaged in sexting activity with one or more women in Montana; He holds legal title to over $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock, and several motor boats, which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually professed member of the Society.”http://soltnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/press-release-concerning-fr-john-corapi.html

Of course we must not judge, and John Corapi needs our prayers. However, we have to address the very real danger of “celebrity priests” who develop their own following and who act somewhat independently of their order and bishop. It is not an issue of conservative vs liberal

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All opinions on this page expressed by the blog owner are those of the blog owner alone, and are in no way to be taken as the opinions of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne or its agencies.

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About This Blog

SCE is a blog in "the Spirit of Benny 16". It is a place to discuss Catholic Theology, Ecumenism, Interfaith relations, History, Liturgy, Philosophy and whatever topics are hot in the ecclesiastical world!

I view the combox as the most important feature of this site, and I imagine our commentators sharing a glass of after dinner port as we discuss in a gentlemanly/ladylike manner the issues most dear to us.

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The Schütz Model for a Elective Australian Constitutional Monarchy

I propose that
1) We replace the absentee monarch of Australia (who is also the Monarch of Great Britain) with an elected Australian monarchy.
2) The elected monarch exactly replaces the current monarch in the current constition.
3) The elected monarch has exactly the same powers, duties and responsibilities as those of the current absentee monarch. All the monarch's functions are carried out by his/her personal representatives (as is currently the case): federally by the Governor General, and in the states by the State Governors.
4) The Governor General and the Governors continue to be selected and appointed as they currently are, that is, by the premier with the approval of the monarch.
5) The monarch is elected to sovereignty over Australia for life, but his/her sovereignty is strictly non-hereditary.
6) The elective body is the "college of electors" comprised of the state governors and federal governor general.
7) The election of the monarch must be a unanimous decision on the part of the college of electors.

"The fervant Romanists have always this point in their favour: that they are ready to believe. And they have a desire for the conversion of men which is honest in exactly inverse ration to the dishonesty of the means which they employ to produce it."-- Anthony Trollope, "The Way We Live Now"

J.G. Schütz Family Arms

"The truth may be out there, but lies are inside your head."-- Terry Pratchet, Hogfather, page 242

"I really don't think I'm arrogant, but I do get impatient with people who don't share with me the same humility in front of the facts."--Richard Dawkins